5/3/1: Wave 1 Workout 3

DB Shoulder Press: 25x5, 30x5, 35x5, 45x3, 50x2, 55x5, 60x5, 60x7 (Rep Out Set)

Assisted Dips: 75 lbs of assistance for 5 sets of 10

Assisted Chinups (Light/Monster Mini Bands): 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 reps

Hammer ISO High Rows: 75x10x5

Behind The Back Shrugs: 120x10x5

DB Hammer Curls: 25x10x5

The last 3 exercises I kept the same from last week, but the 1st 3 exercises showed either improvements in number of reps or weight handled. So I'm a happy camper;)

5/3/1: Wave 1 Workout 2

I went into the gym at 12:15 AM this morning since I couldn't sleep or get motivated enough to go in sooner. My workout plan also changed: I switched over to conventional deadlift, no deficit. This was so I could get reacquainted with the movement, and I also feared that having done less weight at a deficit for so long would kill me when switching back since only the bottom would be overloaded. Since I didn't know where I was conventional-wise, I just did 5 rep sets until I couldn't anymore, working up to a 310 lbs 5RM (135x5, 170x5, 205x5, 240x5, 275x5, 310x5, 345x0). In retrospect, I should have stuck to my original plan: work off of a 395 projected max (355 training max). The logic being aside from my indicators pointing to a 395 max, my logs show that when I do squats/DL, every inch of deficit is a 10 lbs drop - - - so a 355 4" deficit deadlift would be about 395 conventional deadlift. It would have looked like this: 145x5, 180x5, 215x3, 250x2, 265x5, 285x5, 300 AMRAP. This wiped me out, and I found that I was right: fast off the floor now but slow after the midpoint.

12" Front Box Squat: 145x10x2, 145x8x2, 145x7. This wiped the floor with me. Maybe it was just late or the deadlifts drained me. Or I need to get used to doing this for volume.

Hammer Calf Presses: 210x10x5

Assisted GHR (Light Bands): 11, 10, 9, 8, 7 reps. Now, THAT'S what I wanted, more reps and sets with over 10 reps. Each wave, the bands will get lighter: monster minis in Wave 2 and back to bodyweight for Wave 3.

After this, I gave up on the ab work and walked back to my room. Actually, crawl was more like it. I was out of breath AND sleepy, it was 1:30 AM, and I had to get up in 3 hours.

5/3/1: Wave 1 Workout 1

(All Notation: Weight x Reps x Sets):

Flat Bench Press: 65x5, 85x5, 105x5, 125x3, 145x2, 155x5, 165x5, 175x6 (Rep Out Set)

Incline Bench Press: 125x10x2, 125x9+1, 125x7+3, 125x6+3+1

Assisted Chinups (Light/Monster Mini Bands): 8, 7, 6, 5, 5 reps

Hammer ISO Rows: 85x10x5

Trap Bar Shrugs: 126x10x5

Preacher Curls: 55x10x2, 55x9, 55x8, 55x7

Lower Body Workout/Squat Test

Since I will be back squatting again for the next 12 weeks and haven't squatted outside of a Smith Machine in a long time, I decided to test with box squats instead of doing deadlifts, and I dropped the good mornings for today.

I looked back at my old workouts and at the Virtual Meets that I've done and had some concerns. I remember the 340 squat attempt that I lost at the bottom in September 2007; I also remembered having a hard time holding the weight on my back because I had done a whole cycle of training with a Safety Squat Bar. I remember the front squat cycle where I ended up with a 275 front squat but my back squat stayed put at 315 because I had totally abandoned it during that time.

My worries up until today, ergo, was holding a weight on my back, doing a walkout, staying balanced, what I could lift outside of the Smith. Hell, I was incredibly curious as to whether I could back squat well at all!?!

14" Box Squat (1-second pause): starting at 105 lbs, I did triples in increments of 30 lbs until I could no longer hit a triple - - - I hit a 2RM at 285 lbs. I then attempted a 315 lbs squat to the box: My legs were rock solid upon racking the weight, the bar was solid on my back, the walkout was good, I had a tight arch and full control all the way to the box. But at the bottom, I couldn't lift it. And I noticed something else: When I racked the 315, I lost my air and had to get it back before descending. Overall, I was happy: I have a 30-lbs carryover to regular squats from the box so I'm looking at about a 320-325 lbs squat. The arched back good mornings and front squats will stay as assistance movements, I think these movements have helped me and don't want to lose what I've worked for so far. I will also throw in weighted ab work.

Leg Curls: 120x10x3, 120x9, 120x8. The leg curl machine is set in 15 lbs increments and I could already do 12+ reps with 105 lbs so I had to move up to 120 lbs. So after each wave of 5/3/1, I will increase the weight to the next setting and just rep out.

Hammer Calf Press: 200x10x5

5/3/1 Uncoupled

Now that I have a walkie talkie, and can be reached anywhere on base, and do not have to be tethered to my squad as much for every move I make, I started doing independent upper/lower body days again. I also started following the 5/3/1 template for assistance work, 5 sets of 10 reps, which should help me get more solid and lean.

As of Monday, I have twelve weeks until the Virtual Meet. I will start over again with the 5/3/1 with different maxes and lifts and the addition of the deload week so that's 3 waves I can get done. My last weight session will be July 5th. No, I won't do openers: I will just guess wisely. My goal is to come in at 200 lbs but we'll see: between flying in to Finland from Africa and the ride to Vaasa, my eating and sleeping cycle might keep me from that. No matter what, it should be fun.

Yesterday, we trained at the US Embassy in Djibouti, practicing "taking it back" from an enemy. A lot of the practices/drills are, essentially, my cardio. In the past, I've done 1 hour walks with body armor but this is a step above that: double that time, add an M16 and lots of ammo and a Kevlar helmet, and runs/jogs/sprints in defensive positions in the heat and you have a ballbuster. Which is why if I'm asked what kind of shape I'm in I will answer that it's better than it was a month or so ago, but it depends on the task. It can only get better, I keep telling myself.

I'm eating very smart these days though, because my sleep schedule is kind of screwed up, 3 meals a day is about the best that it gets. I dropped a lot of the soda and junk, and that's one of the other reasons why I'm getting leaner. I do the best that I can with what I've got, sometimes I would rather sleep than eat.

Now, here's today's workout. The assistance work tired me out.

DB Shoulder Press: 20x5, 30x5, 35x5, 40x3, 50x2, 50x3, 60x3, 60x4 (Rep Out Set)

Assisted Dips: 90lbs of assistance for 5 sets of 10

Assisted Chinups (Light/Monster Mini Bands): 8, 7, 6, 5, 4 reps

Hammer ISO High Rows: 75x10x5

Behind The Back Shrugs: 120x10x5

DB Hammer Curls: 25x10x5

5/3/1:Round 1 Workout 3

All Notation: Weight x Reps x Sets

12" Front Box Squat: 65x5, 90x5, 110x5, 130x3, 155x2, 165x3, 185x3, 195x6 (Rep Out Set)

Leg Curls: 150x5, 150x4, 150x3x4

Arched Back Good Morning: Worked up to 205x1

Flat Bench Press: 60x5, 80x5, 100x5, 120x3, 140x2, 150x3, 170x3, 180x5 (Rep Out Set)

Assisted Pullups (Light/Monster Mini Bands): 8, 7, 7, 6, 5, 5 reps

Barbell Curls: 100x1x6.

Hammer Calf Press: 230x8x5

Jim Wendler's 5/3/1: Round 1 Workout 2

4" Deficit Deadlift: 135x5, 165x5, 195x3, 225x2, 240x5, 255x5, 270x6 (Rep Out Set)

GHR: 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4 reps

Hammer Calf Press: 170x12x4

DB Shoulder Presses: 20x5, 30x5, 35x5, 40x3, 45x2, 50x5, 55x5, 60x5 (Rep Out Set)

Hammer ISO Rows: 115x6x5

Barbell Curls: 90x6x5

Conditioning Work

Yesterday I spent about 3 hours in body armor, including a 1.5 hour stretch. Not by my own intention, either, but for work. Very tough, especially with the humidity rising in Djibouti. Today, I went to the soccer/football field and ran/walked 8 laps (ran one, walked one, 8 times) at about 4PM.

Jim Wendler's 5/3/1: Round 1 Workout 1

All Notation: Weight x Reps x Sets

Tested 1RM Maxes as of Last Week:
12" Front Box Squat: 235
4" Deficit Deadlift: 345
Flat bench press: 215
DB Shoulder press: 70

Training Maxes for First Round of 5/3/1:
12" Front Box Squat: 215
4" Deficit Deadlift: 315
Flat bench press: 195
DB Shoulder press: 65

Workout:
12" Front Box Squat: 65x5, 90x5, 110x5, 130x3, 155x2, 165x5, 175x5, 185x7 (Rep Out Set)

Leg Curls: 105x12x3

Arched Back Good Morning: 135x12x3

Flat Bench Press: 60x5, 80x5, 100x5, 120x3, 140x2, 150x5, 160x5, 170x7 (Rep Out Set)

Assisted Pullups (Light/Monster Mini Bands): 6 sets of 6

Hammer Curls: 45x4+2, 40x6x4. The aim was 45x6x5, but the pullups took it out of my arms so I dropped down to 40 lbs DBs.

Hammer Calf Press: 280x4x6

2 Days a Week

I've decided to start doing weights twice a week, there's just no way I can do 4 days a week. In a 6 day span, I have to run two of the other days and do not have time to hit the weights, and they do not have but a chinup bar and 65, 70 lbs dumbbells in the compound. There are two days where I am on 1-hour recall and can put 1.5 hours into a workout; the other two days I am on 5-minute recall and can't even leave the compound. And I'm in a vest a lot on those 2 days, more than when I PT'd in a vest, plus wearing a helmet, carrying an M16 and ammo.

I've cut my workouts in half, then fused two of them together: one day is Deadlift/Shoulder Presses, the other is Front Squat/Bench Press. The assistance work will be the most essential: Back, biceps, hamstrings, lower back. I'm gonna try Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 program for the duration, since I don't want to constantly switch out lifts and wanted to try something new. Once I come off of this security detail on June 1st, I will be back to 4 days a week and more exercises until July 6, then relax until the Virtual Meet.

(All Notation: Weight x Reps x Sets):

April 7:
Flat Bench Press (215): 125x12x3
Assisted Chinups (Light Bands): 6 sets of 3
Hammer ISO High Rows (125p): 75x12x3
Standing DB Front Raises: 20x3x6
Overhead Shrugs (175): 95x15x3
Hammer Curls (45p): 25x12x3

April 10:
4" Deficit Deadlift: 135x5, 170x5, 205x3, 240x2, 275x1, 305x1, 325x1, 345x1
GHR: 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 reps
Hammer Calf Press: 270x6x5
DB Shoulder Presses: 35x5, 40x5, 45x5, 50x5, 55x5, 60x3
Hammer ISO Rows: 80x12x3
Barbell Curls: 60x12x3

This Past Week

This past week, I started standing security watches for the next few weeks, so I will be keeping my training up as best I can but it will either be shortened on some days, lenghtened when I have a chunk of time large enough, or improvised when I can't get to a gym at all.

All Notation: Weight x Reps x Sets

Tuesday, March 31:
4" Deficit Deadlift: 135x5, 165x5, 195x3, 225x2, 245x3, 265x3, 285x3, 310x3.
Assisted Pistols (Average Band): 5 sets of 8
GHR: 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 reps. I cannot seem to break this plateau, will have to bring out the bands.
Pallof Press Isometric Holds: 15 lbs x 30 seconds x 5 reps
Hammer Calf Press: 160x25x2

Thursday, April 2:
Assisted Dips: Worked up to 178 (BWT after 45 lbs of assist) for a 5RM
Hammer ISO Rows: 55x25x2
Assisted Pullups (Light band): 6 sets of 3
Standing DB Laterals: 15x5x5
Barbell Curls: 40x25x2
Behind The Back Shrugs: 150x5x5

Sunday, April 5:
12" Front Box Squat (235): worked up to 195x3x6. I had enough energy to complete the squats in good form, even with a one-second pause.
Leg Curls: 75x25x2
Arched Back GM: Worked up to 175x3, 195x3, 205x3, 225x2 (2RM). Will have to make up the 25 rep sets for this and the front squats this week, not enough time.